Wolves tough guy George Elokobi is hoping to keep an opening day date with the player he knocked cold on the final day of the season.
Elokobi, who finished his first season at Molineux rapidly emerging as a fans favourite, looks set for a reunion with Plymouth Argyle captain Krisztian Timar in the first day clash on the south coast.
The 28-year-old Hungarian defender fractured his forehead after a clash of heads with Elokobi on the final day of last season, an injury which required major surgery and led to a worrying summer for the Plymouth skipper.
It was also an incident which brought out the best in football with Timar making a point of thanking the Wolves fans who flooded his club with goodwill messages as a concerned Elokobi also stayed in touch.
Now the signs are that the two players are on course for an instant sequel with Timar back in training and tipped to be ready for the opening day of the campaign.
Timar was back for pre-season training on Thursday and and plans to wear head protection when the side starts work with the ball next week.
And a relieved Elokobi said: “That’s very good to hear.
“I haven’t managed to speak to him over the summer but I’m really pleased he is making good progress.
“As I said at the time it was an honest challenge with both of us going for the ball and I wouldn’t have wished an injury like that on anyone.
“It’s strange that our very next game is against Plymouth as well and it would be nice if he is able to play.
“I’m sure I will seek him out to shake his hand and have a chat and then we will both get on with another game of football.”
The incident, although unfortunate, added to Elokobi’s growing reputation as an uncompromising athlete but Wolves were last night playing down the prospect of another joining him in manager Mick McCarthy’s latest transfer moves.
The club are not denying a £1m bid was made for powerful 6ft 4in Norwich centre half Jason Shackell but do not expect it to be come to anything.
The bid was made at the start of the summer but Shackell appears to be a secondary target in the event of Wolves being unable to clinch a deal for first choice Hearts defender Christophe Berra.
That is proving a protracted business but the interest in Shackell will only be stepped up if Wolves give up on Berra.
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